Liverpool supporters love and cherish the anthem that reassures them that, whether there be wind or rain, they should hold their heads up high and walk on with hope in their hearts. Well, it’s been storming at Anfield for quite some time now, and unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a golden sky in sight.
Last week Rafael Benitez ‘admitted†that Liverpool were not the best team in Europe. Why anyone would think they are is beyond imagination. One needs to go back to the Kenny Dalglish glory days of 20 years ago to find the last time that Liverpool might have had that honour.
Indeed, football has changed a lot since those days and Liverpool have kept up with the trends. Yet, their supporters are justified in asking why they have not been as successful of late as they were in previous decades.
This disillusionment has not been helped by Liverpool’s performance in the Premiership of late.
On Saturday, they lost 1-0 at home to a very mediocre Birmingham side, and last weekend all they could muster was a 2-2 draw with bottom of the table Blackburn Rovers. They do have a game in hand against Portsmouth, but on both teams’ current form the result of that one is definitely up for grabs.
There are two other factors that make things worse for the ‘Pool. Their striker, Djibril Cisse, suffered a horrendous broken leg in the Blackburn game, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season. Benitez probably can’t wait for that January transfer window to open to buy himself a replacement.
With him preferring to play Luis Garcia in midfield, Milan Baros needs some help up front. Rumours abound that Crystal Palace’s ace, Andy Johnson, with eight goals so far this season, might be that man. Palace manager, Iain Dowie, has, however, played down any such reports linking Johnson with Anfield.
There is also the sobering fact that a few places above Liverpool in the table, in third position, are arch-rivals Everton.
Imagine how much fun Everton fans are having at the expense of their fellow Liverpudlians, and in particular Rafael ‘Beneath-us†(so the song goes). And imagine how that hurts the Anfield faithful. We’re starting to get an idea of why there is growing discontent on the red side of the Mersey.
It is a burden that Benitez is being forced to bear, but the problems started a long time before his arrival. It’s been 14 years since Liverpool won the domestic title and the three managers before Benitez did them no favours. Between them, Graeme Souness and Roy Evans won a few trophies, but neither of them were ever going to win the Championship.
There seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel with the arrival of Gérard Houllier, but his reign petered out into dullness. Although there was the treble-winning season of 2001, Liverpool fans saw that more as a stepping-stone to more prestigious endeavours. After all, it’s the weakest form of treble you can win. Manchester United won the real treble back in 1999. Houllier did win a few trophies, but Liverpool never looked like winning the Championship.
It’s in the transfer market too that Liverpool have been let down. Houllier, in particular, made some puzzling signings, but even those that were welcomed by fans turned out to be flops. He just couldn’t get it right. Houllier splashed out a couple of million on the Senegalese pair, Diouf and Diao, both starlets of the 2002 World Cup. At the same time, Arsene Wenger signed the unknown Kolo Toure. No guesses as to which player has been more successful.
One of the integral ingredients of the great 1980s Liverpool teams was good, consistent strikers, such as John Aldridge and Ian Rush. And Liverpool seemed to have continued with that tradition.
First it was wunderkind Robbie Fowler smashing them in, and then amazing-goal-against-Argentina Michael Owen. Yet, both have slipped away from Merseyside, leaving a hole that Benitez now has to fill.
It’s not all bad news though. Steven Gerrard should be back from injury soon, and the form of Xabi Alonso has been inspiring. But, once again, Liverpool might have to treat this season as a rebuilding year.
Last year, after a terrible start, they were happy to get the fourth place in the Premiership that got them into the Champions League this season. And let’s remind ourselves, they finished closer to the relegation zone last season than they did to the leaders. Although things are currently going well in the Champions League, there is a fear that in later rounds the competition is going to be just too strong.
This all points to yet another mediocre season where Liverpool are, once again, going to have to scrap for a top-four position. And, based on current Premiership form, that’s not going to be easy. Benitez’s job is an unenviable one. As Liverpool supporters get more restless, so the pressure will increase.
This Saturday, at Anfield, Liverpool play against Crystal Palace, who are no pushover. The last time Liverpool won the domestic title, in the 1989/90 season, they beat Crystal Palace 9-0 at Anfield. What Benitez wouldn’t give for history to repeat itself, in both senses.
They will have to work hard to beat Palace this time around, and to do so would be a great way to get some form back, especially with tougher games coming up against Middlesbrough and Arsenal.
But Liverpool fans demand more. They’ll walk on with hope in their hearts and, yes, Liverpool will never walk alone. But if the storm continues, and things don’t get better for England’s most successful football club soon, it’s going to be hard to keep holding those heads up high.